Things I Wanna Have
by blackwand84
Summary: Alex Hughes Alan Rickman's character from the film "Snow Cake" has left Wawa and is wandering around trying to find himself. This is my interpretation of what may have become of him.
1. Deep Sleep Motel

_**I have been thinking about writing this story for a long time. "Snow Cake" starring Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Carrie-Anne Moss is my favorite film of all time. I adore that movie. Alex Hughes is one of my very favorite of Alan's characters, and I have often wondered what he went on to do after he left the small Canadian town that the film is set in. If you haven't seen the film, by all means go and find it! It will help this story make a lot more sense to you if you see the movie first. **_

_**The soundtrack to the movie is really fantastic, and for that reason I've decided to use various song titles as the chapter names. Some of the titles will be songs from the movie soundtrack, but not all of them. Many of them will just be song titles that I thought somehow fit in with what the chapters are about. For instance, the title of the story itself, "Things I Wanna Have" is a phrase from a song by Stereophonics that Alex sings along with in the movie, whereas the title for chapter one, "Deep Sleep Motel" was not on the soundtrack. It is a song by the group "Nancy Boy" that I have always liked. I picked it simply because Alex is in a hotel. Not too deep. HA! Anyway, I hope at least a few people will find this story and like it because I have never seen any "Snow Cake" fics and I wanted to write one. **_

_**If you do read this, and have any sort of opinion on it whatsoever, I would really love to hear from you. This story means a lot to me because of how much the movie has meant to me.**_

* * *

Alex stepped through the door of the hotel room and felt along the wall for a light switch. When the light flicked on he surveyed his new temporary residence.

"Could be worse" he mumbled to himself, closing the door behind him and walking over to the bed to set down his luggage.

It had been three months since he had left Wawa, and his new friends there. After his meeting with Rebecca, he'd been left with no set destination, and nothing pulling him any longer in any particular direction. Learning more from her about the son he had never had the chance to know had been a bittersweet experience, and he still wasn't entirely sure if it had helped him make peace with his situation or not.

Upon his departure he had, for lack of any other ideas, headed eastward. Canada was a beautiful country, and he was in no hurry to return home to the UK. After all, what awaited him there? He had no family, other than his brother, who utterly despised him anyway. His time in prison had been an embarrassment to Ian the perfect, and they hadn't spoken at all since his sentencing. He wondered with a smirk if his brother even knew he had been released. He wasn't likely to care.

Alex had always enjoyed traveling, although he hadn't done nearly as much of it in his previous life as he had since setting off on the pilgrimage to reunite with the mother of his lost son. Thankfully, there had been no more tragedy to mar the journey since the accident that had claimed the life of young Vivienne Freeman. Honestly, he had already decided that one more episode of heartbreak like that and he was going to go find a cave to live in somewhere rather than tempt fate any further.

The last few months had been an endless string of highways, hotel rooms, rest stops and diners, punctuated occasionally by the odd tourist attraction when he felt the urge and found something intriguing in the maps and pamphlets he kept in the car. After a visit to the majestic Niagara Falls, Alex had decided on a whim to head south into the United States. His passport was good, why not use it?

Plopping down onto the bed with a sigh, Alex reached for the telephone on the night table. He hadn't spoken to anyone who actually knew him in eight days, and now seemed like a good time to ring Maggie.

"Hello?" came her voice, slightly muffled by the aged hotel phone.

Alex smiled at the sound of her. _I'm going to miss her for a very long time _he thought, feeling the familiar tightness in his throat that crept up on him whenever he thought about Maggie too much.

"Hello to you" he said in a teasing tone. "What are you doing?"

"Actually I was just talking about you. Marilyn and I were speculating on where you might be tonight."

Alex chuckled. Marilyn was Maggie's dog, formerly Vivienne's dog, who Alex had re-homed when it became clear that Vivienne's mother Linda was not coping well with caring for her.

"Really? Well, which one of you guessed a bit south of Buffalo?"

It was Maggie's turn to laugh now. "Buffalo? As in New York? You've escaped across the border?"

"Yes. I stopped at Niagara Falls this afternoon and decided why not dip into America for a while? There's someplace near here that's supposed to be some sort of cultural hotspot. I'm going to go looking for it tomorrow. They've got a nice looking lake, anyway, and the hotel isn't too bad."

"Sounds lovely."

There was an awkward pause, and Alex chewed the inside of his cheek nervously. He knew that Maggie was still doing him the favor of keeping a careful emotional distance. She knew that he would have liked to have a proper relationship with her, and that was not something that she was able to offer.

"That's the idea" he said finally. "Have you seen Linda at all?"

Maggie snickered. "It's Tuesday."

"Ah, yes, garbage day. How is she?"

"She's… Linda. She actually spoke to me today."

Alex was a bit surprised. "Really? That's progress."

"She scolded me for tracking a bit of dirt in on my shoes and asked me how many sexually transmitted diseases I've had."

Alex's jaw dropped and he groaned in horror. Leave it to Linda… "Sorry" he sighed.

"It's not your fault. I'm actually to the point where I find it amusing now, rather than offensive."

After his conversation with Maggie, Alex decided a shower was in order. The bathroom was clean, which made him happy. It was hit or miss usually, in his experience.

As he toweled off his hair and let himself sink back onto the bed it hit him just how tired he actually was this evening. His shoulders were aching and he thought to himself that it might be a good idea to stay put for a few days.

In the morning, after partaking of the hotel's breakfast offerings, Alex got back into the car to have a look around town in the daylight. The hotel receptionist had filled him in a bit about the local tourist spots, and he had been surprised to learn that this area, in spite of its rather podunk appearance, attracted many wealthy vacationers during the summer months. There were always plenty of boats on the lake, and there were all sorts of concerts, lectures, art shows, and seminars to be enjoyed by visitors and locals alike, although, Alex suspected that if the facial expressions on the receptionist were any indication, the locals were less enthused about it all than the tourists were. He supposed he couldn't blame them.

Along the main road he passed several businesses. There were restaurants, gift shops, garden stands, flower shops, art galleries, ice cream stands, antique stores, food markets, boat rentals, and bars. It was quite the happening little place, apparently.

Outside a small bookstore Alex saw a short, chubby woman in a flowing paisley gauze dress watering the vast array of flowers that adorned the shop's front porch. Noticing that she was being watched by the man in the slow moving vehicle, the woman grinned at him and waved.

"Ho there!" she called cheerfully. "Having a sale today! Fifty percent off your favorite author! Come on over!"

Intrigued, but also wishing that he had kept his eyes on the road, Alex reluctantly pulled into the small gravel parking lot next to the store.

When he got out of the car and made his way towards the porch he asked the woman "Which author is that?"

She grinned again. "Whichever one's your favorite, like I said."

"That's convenient" he replied, smirking. He looked up at the hand-painted sign on the front of the building and read aloud "Twisted Spines…"

The chubby woman laughed. "Yeah. My little joke. We're twisted and the books have spines. It works. You'll understand when you meet my girls. About the twisted part, I mean. Well, Megan, mostly, but… I'm rambling."

He smiled at her. "Do you mean your daughters?" he asked, trying to be polite in the face of her extreme friendliness.

She laughed again. "Oh, well, I suppose they may as well be most of the time, but no, I meant my employees. The ornery raven-haired beauty on the ladder is Miss Megan and the chestnut filly behind the counter is Vanessa. You go on in there and they'll help you find yourself a literary treasure. I'm Kathryn, and if they misbehave… well, if Megan misbehaves… then you just come on back out and fetch me because I'm the boss around here."

Alex chuckled, amused by Kathryn's apparent eccentricity. "Thank you" he said, still smirking. "I'll keep that in mind."

As he reached for the door he nearly bumped face first into a large set of fuchsia pink wind chimes. This promised to be an interesting establishment.

The small size of the shop was deceiving. Inside, Alex saw an impressively huge collection of books, lined up from floor to ceiling on shelves that lined every wall and formed aisles throughout the room. More wind chimes dangled from the ceiling at random intervals, and looking down, Alex realized the floor had been "tiled" with pennies.

"Interesting choice of flooring" he muttered.

"Took us ages to collect them all" came a voice from above his head. He looked up, puzzled, since the only ladder he could see was empty.

There was a young woman, probably in her mid to late twenties, perched precariously on the edge of one of the shelves with a feather duster in her hand.

_The Amazing Spidergirl _he thought, shaking his head.

"You must be Megan?" he asked

She slid along her shelf until she could step back onto her ladder and climbed down. "Must be" she retorted, walking over to the doorway that was positioned behind the checkout counter. "Ness! Silver fox with a British accent! Thought you'd like to know."

There was a loud thud and some swearing from behind the door, and Must Be Megan snickered. "Delivery day" she explained. "Her heart must have gone all aflutter causing her to fall victim to an avalanche. I prefer Latinos personally, whereas you Brits are my colleague's specialty, but, since she's busy, is there anything I can help you find?"

Alex vaguely began to wonder if this were actually a very peculiar whorehouse under the guise of a bookstore. "Specialty?" he asked, getting nervous.

The girl laughed. "I'm just messin' with ya. Kidding." Seeing that he still looked disturbed, she explained "Vanessa has a thing for guys with certain accents. Her favorite is British, but she's just as pleased by Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Australian, and… oh that other place…" Megan bit her lip and looked at the ceiling as she tried to remember.

"New Zealand" said the short brunette who emerged from behind the mysterious door. "And you're on my ish list. Wench."

Megan laughed again, and the newcomer offered her well-manicured hand over the counter to Alex, who shook it gently. He was relieved to see that the nails, though slightly long, were natural. Those plastic things gave him the creeps.

"My name is Vanessa, and I hope you'll forgive Megan. She forgot to take her medication today apparently. Can I help you locate a particular title this morning?"

Alex smirked and shrugged. "Not really, to be honest. I only stopped because I got waved in by your colorful employer. I suppose I could browse for a bit, if that's ok with the two of you."

Vanessa grinned, and nodded, blushing. "Sure! No problem. Let us know if you need anything."

When he turned to peruse the books he saw, out of the corner of his eye, that she grabbed Megan and yanked her into the room behind the door. She didn't bother to shut it so he heard their conversation, carried out in ridiculously loud whispers.

"You're such an ass!"

"Well duh! I had to tell you though. You'd have been pissed off if you missed him. We don't get very many English ones in here, and I know how you enjoy them!"

"Oh for fuck's sake shut up will you he's right out there and the door's open!"

"Aw who gives a shit? He probably thinks it's funny. A guy his age, nicely dressed, sexy accent… he's definitely married anyway. Or gay. Besides, he's old enough to be your grandpa."

"You are such a bitch…"

"We established that a long time ago didn't we? Chill your tits."

The one called Vanessa emerged again from the doorway, with a large, nervous, and obviously fake smile plastered across her face. The expression made her look slightly deranged, but she was still quite pretty. No small feat, Alex thought. He chuckled to himself.

"You've got all sorts of choices here" he said, feeling sorry for being a cause of her embarrassment.

She nodded. "Yep. We have most everything. Um… the really old stuff is over here under the glass. Anything over a hundred."

"Dollars?" he asked.

"Years" she clarified.

"Ah, I see. Any suggestions?"

The girl twisted her mouth in an odd way, and Alex knew she was chewing the inside of her cheek. It was a habit that he shared, so he could spot it immediately. "I just finished reading this weird old book" she said. "That I personally thought was pretty neat, albeit kind of macabre."

"What was that?" he asked, curious.

"It's called _The Penitentes_" she said, unlocking the glass case from behind the counter. "It was published in 1900 but this copy is from 1901. Kathryn found it at a yard sale, actually, but since it's on Amazon for eighty bucks, she's selling it for forty."

"What's it about?" Alex asked her, not really sure why he cared. Maybe it was because the title struck a chord with him. Hadn't he spent the last several years of his life feeling penitent?

"It's about this religious group in the southwest that would punish themselves to show their faith and every year re-enact the death of Jesus by nailing one of their young men up on a cross. There's a crazy priest, and a really slutty drama queen, some nutty old ladies, some soldiers, and some jealous suitors who are ready to fight to the death over the slut. It's nuts, but fascinating. I couldn't put it down. Besides, there's just something sacred about reading a hundred year old book."

Alex nodded. She had a point. It sounded like it could be interesting. Awfully pricey for him though, considering that his credit cards were getting closer and closer to maxed, and he had barely any actual money left to his name.

Having an idea and deciding to give it a shot, he asked her "What's the author's name?"

"Louis How" she told him, grinning.

"What would you say if I told you that he was my favorite author?" Alex asked her.

"I would say you're in luck, because we've had a slow week and Kathryn has a sale going on having to do with favorite authors."

Alex could tell by her face that she got the joke. He pulled out one of his sorely abused credit cards and set it on the counter. "What's your return policy in case I don't like it?" he asked her.

Megan was back up on her ladder, dusting again. "No returns on the antique books" she called down. "Unless of course you bring it back to Vanessa and happen to have a British accent. It's a little loophole…"

Vanessa turned red again and laughed. "Yeah, pretty much that" she admitted. "Don't tell Kath."

Alex shook his head, smirking at her again. He was flattered. Usually he only got such female favoritism from dumpy, desperate, and dim divorcees. Well… and Maggie, more recently, but she was different. With her there may be a compliment, but it was usually followed by a teasing jab, and there would be something expected in return.

"My lips are sealed" he said quietly, giving the girl a little smile. She was pretty, and the idea that she might find him attractive was a boost to his ego, but she was far too young. Besides that, being noticed simply because of the way you've been taught to talk your entire life really isn't much of anything to consider an accomplishment, and he knew it.

Stepping back out onto the porch, this time he _did_ end up with a face full of painted pink metal as the awkwardly placed wind chimes attacked again. Glaring at them, Alex pulled off his glasses and checked them for scratches.

"A bit of an odd place to put your chimes" he commented to Kathryn, who was now sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, watching traffic.

"Oh, probably" she replied, grinning cheerfully.

_What a strange woman._

Deciding that one local store was enough for today, and being still thoroughly sick of driving, Alex returned to the solitude of his hotel room. He stripped down to his underpants and sprawled out on the big bed for a nap, just because he could. The low hum of the air conditioning lulled him to sleep, and he dreamt of young women swinging back and forth between mile-high bookshelves on spider web threads.


	2. Hello Little Girl

**_To the lovely person who made my day by requesting I update this... thank you! I have lots of plans for this story, so there will be much more. I absolutely love Alex Hughes. Who wouldn't love to have a guy like that? "Hello Little Girl" is the very first song written by John Lennon. He was a teenager, and it's a cute little tune. Check it out!_**

* * *

Upon awakening, Alex used the telephone to order a pizza, and, slipping on a tee-shirt and sweatpants, settled into the cushy chair by the window with his new book. _A new book that happens to be over a hundred years old, _he thought._ Ironic._

He was just finishing the first chapter when there was a knock at the door. His pizza had arrived. He paid the young man with the last battered twenty in his wallet.

"Keep the rest" he muttered, closing the door, and heading back over to his chair with the pizza. He ate half of it as he read, not really paying attention to what he was doing until he realized he was full to the point of discomfort.

The girl at the bookshop, she who fancied English accents, had been right. This was in fact a very interesting book. It started out a bit silly, in his opinion, with some men fighting over a flaky woman, but as it went on, it became disturbingly engrossing.

His eyes were starting to ache a bit from staring at the small black words all afternoon, and the sun was now setting outside. He recalled that there had been a bar across the street, and thought it might be nice to walk over there. At least he wouldn't have to get in the car.

It was a lovely evening. The air was warm, and there was music coming from… he looked up at the neon sign… "Sister's Saloon" he read, cringing at the peculiar business names that he'd seen so far around here. "Charming" he whispered, rolling his eyes. In truth though, he had actually sort of liked the strange name of the book store he'd visited that morning. It had a clever silliness to it that reminded him of Vivienne.

Alex smiled as he thought of his purple-haired young friend. He had only had the privilege of spending a few hours with her, but she had nevertheless managed to forever alter the course of his life. He would never forget her.

Every now and then, when he was feeling lonely, he would imagine that she was still traveling with him. He'd certainly never admit that to anyone, not even to Maggie, but it was entertaining to picture how Vivienne would have reacted to the various locations that he had visited during the time since he had left her home town.

_Ready to get your dance on?_ Vivienne asked him inside his head, her vibrant smile as contagious as ever.

_Not bloody likely_ he remarked back to her in his mind.

Once he was through the door, however, his imagined companion disappeared. The bar was surprisingly full for a weeknight. Although, he supposed, that being a tourist town it would be full of people who were on vacation. What difference did it make to them what day it was? No more difference than it made to him, he supposed, gesturing to get the bartender's attention.

"Jack and Coke for my friend here" said a female voice to his right. "On me."

Alex turned to confirm his suspicions, and smirked when he saw that it was in fact who he had thought. "Must Be Megan" he greeted her.

She grinned. "Must be" she agreed. "You stalking me or something?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Ah, but I was here first! Vanessa's going to be pissed. She had class tonight, so she couldn't come."

"What sort of class?" he asked, not really sure why he wanted to know.

Megan shrugged. "I dunno. She wants to be a teacher, so it's something to do with that. It's her first year back. We both left college a loooong time ago, but she decided she wanted to give it another shot."

Alex picked up the glass that the bartender set in front of him and gave it a sniff. He hadn't touched whiskey in years, but didn't want to offend her so he took a sip. "Good for her. How about you? Ever thought of resuming your education?"

Megan snorted, and Alex realized that she was more than a bit drunk. "Me? Ha! Screw that noise. I ran outta that place screaming my head off. I wouldn't go through all that again for all the money in the world. Vanessa isn't in it for the money though. She likes history, and she wants to talk about it to people. That's what she told me, anyway. She's good at all that paper writing stuff, and she knows all sorts of neat old shit." Megan giggled. "Last semester she had the hots for this professor of hers and she literally got a one hundred percent grade in his class. She didn't even sleep with him! She just liked him so much that it inspired her or something. She cracks me up."

"Did he know she liked him?" he asked, amused by her inebriated rambling.

She shrugged. "I dunno. Probably not. She's too damn shy. That's the reason she's still single. The dude moved away or something and she was all heartbroken and whined about it for a couple of weeks. She kept the essays that he wrote comments on, which was like all of them." Megan laughed so hard she stumbled into Alex, and he caught her before she fell over. "She's so cute and goofy" she giggled, not seeming to care that she had nearly knocked both of them to the floor. Maybe she hadn't noticed.

"Maybe you should sit down" he suggested, gesturing to a recently vacated bar stool.

She ignored him, and began to rummage in her purse. "I gotta call my Ness-Ness. She's gonna be so pissed that I ran into you here and she's stuck in some stupid class."

"I met her once, I don't think I made that big of an impression" he said gently. "Megan, why don't you have a seat…?"

Finally locating her mobile phone, she looked up and shushed him. "Shut up a minute dude, I'm on the phone!"

Alex snickered. Between the din of the crowd and the music that was playing they could barely hear each other speaking as it was, but he decided there was little point in arguing with her.

"Nessa Beans!" she shrieked into her telephone.

Alex bit his lip to keep from laughing at her. Being around this girl was quite an experience.

Suddenly Megan had a pouty look on her face and he surmised that Vanessa was less than thrilled at being interrupted by her drunk dialing friend.

"I know you are, duh! I just had to call you because I was talking about you" she giggled. "Your English boyfriend showed up and I bought him a drink. He's totally right here having a drink with me and you are across town at that stupid college. Lame!"

_Boyfriend? I should be so lucky. _Alex felt himself blushing.

"No I'm not gonna sleep with him!" Megan whined. "I'm a bitch, but I'm not that much of a bitch. You'd hate me so hard if I did that. Damn. Besides, he's so not my type. Here, tell him hi…"

She thrust the phone out at Alex, and he shook his head. There was no way he wanted anything to do with this conversation. It was embarrassing enough just hearing it.

"Dude, talk to Vanessa!" she demanded.

Sighing, Alex reluctantly took the phone from her. "Hello" he said, sticking his finger in his other ear so he could hear her over the noise of the bar.

"I thought you were a nice guy."

Alex was stunned. "What? I'm afraid I don't follow you."

"Megan's drunk" she said. "And she does dumb shit when she's drunk. I didn't figure you for the kind of guy who'd try and get cozy with that. Just leave her alone ok? She doesn't need anymore one night stands."

He shook his head. "Look, I just came over here because it's across from my hotel and I was bored. I certainly wasn't looking to get _cozy _with _anyone. _I don't generally make a habit of taking advantage of intoxicated young women, so you needn't worry. Besides, as it happens, she isn't exactly _my_ type either."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and for a moment he thought they'd been disconnected. Finally she said "Ok, sorry. I just get these stupid calls from her a lot, and I know what has a tendency to happen to her when she runs into somebody at the bar."

"Apology accepted. Is there anywhere I should take her? Maybe I could get her to go home?"

"No. She won't want to leave yet. I'm done here now anyway, so if you could just stay there and keep her busy I can be there in twenty minutes." She paused again. "It's not… I mean… You don't really know us. You don't have to help, and I feel like an asshole even asking after what I just accused you of."

He smiled, his indignation forgotten. "It's no trouble. You're not an arsehole for worrying about your friend. I'll keep her talking."

"Thank you…"

"Alex" he said.

"Thank you Alex."

After hanging up he handed the phone back to Megan. "She's on her way" he told her.

Megan's face lit up. "Awesome!" Her expression turned mischievous. "You gotta stick around then, because she thinks you're totally hot. She got all quiet and spacey for the whole rest of the day after you came in, and you seem like a really nice dude."

"I'm a bit old for her, wouldn't you say?" He knew, English fetish or not, there was no way in hell that he had any sort of chance with a pretty twenty-something, and he doubted he would bother with it even if he did. What could he possibly have in common with someone that age? Vivienne had been a joy to spend the day with, but relating to someone so much younger on the level that a relationship would require did not seem possible. Still… he was a man… Alex forced himself to put all thoughts of sex out of his mind.

"I don't think so" Megan said. "She's an old soul, my Ness."

Alex smirked. "Well, do me a favor and don't start trying to play matchmaker, all right? I have a very complicated life. Much more than you realize. You don't know anything about me so you shouldn't assume that I'm someone who would be any good for your friend."

"You don't look like you'd hurt a fly" she slurred.

Alex sighed. "You might be surprised. Anyway, why don't we go find somewhere to sit you down until Vanessa arrives."

"Whatev."

Alex managed to find them a booth near the jukebox and Megan amused herself by selecting songs that would have been appropriate in a strip club. When Vanessa finally showed up he was trying in vain to convince her to get down off of the table.

"Thank God" he grumbled. "Does she always get like this?"

Vanessa laughed, giving him a sympathetic look. "What do you think?" she asked.

He nodded. "No wonder you came right over."

Megan's high heel slipped on the table and she fell rather ungracefully onto her backside. Her skirt was pushed up and Vanessa yanked it back down as much as she could in order to avoid her friend giving the bar any more of a show than they'd already had.

"At least you're wearing underwear tonight" she teased. "Thank you for that."

Megan giggled deliriously and crawled off the table to sink down into the booth seat.

"And thank you Alex" Vanessa added, holding her hand out to him.

He shook and smiled at her. "You're very welcome. It's been quite an experience."

"Can I buy you a drink?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "No, thank you. I try to stick to wine these days, and Miss Megan already persuaded me into a Jack Daniels and Coke earlier."

Vanessa nodded. "It's just as well. I have to drive this mess home anyway." She looked at him for several seconds. "Do you like your book?"

Alex nodded. "Yes. It's… very engrossing, once you get started."

She smiled. "Yeah, I thought so too. Anyway… come on Megs… Thanks again Alex."

Megan stood up and tugged her skirt down again. "See you later Alex. You're a good dude. Come see us at the store again!"

"I'm sure I will" he assured her. "You stay out of trouble."

He waited until a few minutes after the girls were out the door before he made his way to the exit himself. What an eventful evening! He was sure Maggie would enjoy the story. As he walked back across the street to his hotel he found himself thinking of Vanessa, and the way she had dropped everything to run to Megan's rescue. She was very beautiful, and with her intelligence and sweetness would be a true prize for any man. If only she were just a bit older… or he was quite a bit younger…

A while later on the phone to Maggie, he recounted his tale, and as he had expected, she found it very amusing.

"So, in other words you've met a girl" she teased him.

He laughed, somewhat bitterly. "Yes, just that, a _girl_ so don't get any ideas. She's very sweet but too young."

"How old is she?"

"I don't know exactly. Mid-twenties, I would say. _Too young_."

He could tell by Maggie's little laugh that she wasn't so sure. "We'll see. I know you, and you're a pushover for flattery from a pretty face."

"I resent that!" he argued.

"Of course you do. Anyway, she sounds like she's got a good head on her shoulders, so that's a relief. Be careful."

After they hung up, Alex decided that a cold shower was definitely in order before bed.


	3. Help!

The next morning Alex knew he'd better tend to some financial issues before he did anything else. He'd spent the last of his cash, and he knew his credit cards were dangerously close to their limit. At this point he doubted he even had enough credit left for a plane ticket home.

As he'd expected, the phone calls he made confirmed his dire monetary situation. Not only was there not enough for a return ticket to London… he would be out on his arse from the hotel in a few more days.

It wasn't like him to be this incredibly irresponsible. He knew he should have gone home as soon as he had accomplished what he'd come here for and gone seeking some sort of employment. That would have been the grown up course of action, certainly. Somehow though, the idea of going home at that point had simply been more than he could bear. With no family who gave a toss about him, no friends, no job, and a small hovel of an apartment… home felt like something he'd rather avoid for as long as possible.

"Can't run away forever I suppose" he mumbled to himself, trying to decide what in the hell he was going to do. How was he even going to pay for the rental car? He knew Maggie would wire him some money, but he had already made up his mind that he absolutely would not ask her. He'd sooner sleep under a bridge.

There was only one possible solution that he could see. He would have to find a way to earn some money. Hopefully he could come up with enough to either buy a ticket home, or at the very least enough to pay for somewhere to stay. The obvious place to start his search was with the only townsfolk he actually knew on a first name basis.

As he pulled into the parking lot of "Twisted Spines" for the second time Alex noticed that this time Kathryn's rocking chair was empty. Were they closed? No, the sign on the door was turned to "Open."

Vanessa was at the counter when he entered, and Alex smiled at her immediately. "Hello again" he said.

She grinned at him. "Why hello there! I didn't think you'd visit us again this soon. Here to return the book?"

He smirked. "No, I don't think so." _Although I probably should, as that would be an extra twenty dollars that I don't have now… _"I'm here with an inquiry" he explained.

"Sure, what do you need to know?" she asked sweetly, leaning over against the glass display case.

"I was wondering if you knew of any local business that are presently hiring."

Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "You looking to become a local, Alex?"

He shrugged. "It had crossed my mind. I've got to start somewhere, haven't I?" He refused to mention to her that he was essentially broke.

Still smiling she ducked down behind the register and then popped back up with a sheet of paper and a pen. A quick glance told Alex that it was an application for employment.

"Well, it just so happens that, as acting manager, I have the ability to hire employees on an as-needed basis" she told him, obviously pleased.

Alex smirked at her. "And you find there's a need now?" he asked, skeptically.

She nodded. "Oh, I think there might be."

Amused, and rather touched, Alex picked up the pen and looked over the application. He wrote down his name, and then looked back up at her.

"Trouble is I haven't got permission to be working in this country."

Vanessa shrugged. "Fill it out anyway. I'll show it to Kath and see what she says. She's a great lover of finding opportunities to _stick it to the man_, as they say." She laughed.

Turning back to the paper, Alex filled out what information he could… and then he came to a line that made his stomach clench.

_Have you ever been convicted of a crime (excluding minor traffic infractions)?_

_ Shit._

Alex set the pen down on the counter. "Maybe I'd better just take this with me. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing yet, and I'd hate to waste your time."

Vanessa's eyes drifted down to the page and she saw where he left off.

"Umm… Forgive me if this is rude of me or if I'm way off base, but… as long as it wasn't anything involving theft, or violence…"

"I killed someone" he blurted. _Why must I always say it like that? _

Vanessa's eyes widened with shock, but she recovered quickly, trying to return to her previous nonchalant demeanor. Alex felt sick, as he always did when he had to explain to anyone that he had been to prison, and why.

"Oh" she choked, not sure what to say. Then she saw the look of absolute misery in his eyes, and her heart broke for him. "Was it an accident?" she asked gently.

He nodded, surprised by her question. Most people didn't bother to ask. "It was."

Vanessa set her hand on top of his on the counter and gave a little squeeze. "Accidents happen. Sometimes really bad ones. I can tell you're not a killer."

Alex gave her a disapproving look. "That's a dangerous assumption to make Vanessa. You can't just assume that because someone looks ordinary that they're a nice person. You don't know me well enough to be so trusting."

She giggled, patting his hand before she let go. "The fact that you're telling me that just proves I'm right" she said. "Anyway, forget the application. You want a job here; I'll hire you right now, no more questions. Ok?"

Alex was stunned and not entirely sure how to respond. He knew that he wasn't likely to find another opportunity like this. No one else in town knew him at all, and his situation was complicated enough to put most anyone off. Who else would hire a non-citizen under the table who had been to prison for homicide, accidental or not? In spite of this, he felt completely ridiculous for being in this situation in the first place.

Finally, he nodded. "All right. What exactly are you hiring me to do?"

Vanessa bit her lip, and her perplexed expression made Alex chuckle a bit.

"I hadn't really thought of that" she giggled. "Megan was supposed to be here today but she told me that she was dying of a hangover this morning so obviously she stayed home. She was supposed to wash all the windows and move the horror fiction section up to the front of the store. Kath says she wants to capitalize on the whole vampire craze." Suddenly she made a face, and muttered "Gag me."

Alex laughed again. "I suppose I'll be doing that then."

Vanessa grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I think that'd be a good place for you to start. Tomorrow we get a shipment in, so you can help us with that. I think we can find plenty for you to do around here. No worries."

As Alex had expected, the windows went quickly, and he was soon onto his second task. Relocating a section involved taking all of the books out of both of the shelves involved, putting them into boxes, and then re-arranging them on their new shelves. It wasn't difficult, but Alex found himself spending more time than he probably should have reading the backs of the books he was moving.

"Find anything good yet?" Vanessa teased him.

"Sure. The horror section is pretty promising, but I've never been a big fan of biographies. Who wants to sit around and read all the details of another person's life? If it's someone else doing the writing then it's horribly invasive, but if the person's telling their own story than it's a bit whorish. Either way, it bores me to death."

Vanessa laughed. "Whorish? That's funny. I don't know, I have always enjoyed a good biography. I'm terribly nosey though, so maybe that's why. Some people have stories that really should be told. Haven't you ever met anyone who would make an extraordinary book character?"

She had him there, because he certainly had. Alex snickered, imagining what it would be like to read a book about Linda. The more he thought about it though, the more he realized that it was actually not a bad idea. If anyone could learn from a book even half of what he had learned from Linda herself then it was a worthwhile endeavor.

"I suppose you're right" he conceded. "But they should be regulated to keep out the boring ones."

Laughing again, Vanessa nodded. "Ok, I can give you that. Definitely don't need the boring ones."

"Can you honestly tell me you've ever read a biography that you've really liked? Not just something that you were told you had to read?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I really have. Catherine the Great was a good read. She was a real hardass. Hitler was fascinating. Totally crazy, and a completely detestable monster, but… well, it's sort of that whole staring at the train wreck kind of phenomena you know? It's horrible but you just can't look away. I suppose there's some real knowledge to be gleaned from that instinct though. That's why I seldom fight the urge to gawk."

Alex laughed out loud. This girl was something else. "So there are two?"

"Au contraire!" she insisted. "There are more than that. You should read _I'm With the Band_ by Pamela Des Barres. We have that one. It's a voyeur's dream, particularly if you like classic rock."

"Isn't that the groupie?" he asked.

"Sort of. She really loved a lot of those guys though. Maybe all of them. It's a captivating read, anyway. At least I thought so. It was one of the few books I've ever actually convinced Megan to read and she loved it."

He nodded. "That doesn't surprise me, honestly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sensing he had stepped into something unfortunate, Alex made a repentant face. "Nothing. I just meant that… You did say the book was interesting, and Megan obviously enjoys music…"

Vanessa laughed evilly. "Sorry I tried, but I can't keep a straight face on that one. It's fine, Megs would be flattered."

Alex rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That's lovely. You had me worried for a second. I just got this job; I don't want to lose it just yet."

"You'll get used to being teased around here Mister, believe me. You've got it easy with me; just wait till Megan is here." She smiled. "And Kath. Kath likes to joke too, she just waits until you least expect it and then totally obliterates your brain with something brilliant."

Vanessa took Alex to a sub shop a few buildings down, and they had lunch on the grass behind the bookstore by the lake. A few ducks were milling about in the water, and there was a slight breeze that felt positively divine. Alex found it ironic that his first day of work in several years, he felt more relaxed than he had since leaving Wawa.

"It really is beautiful here, in its own way" he mused.

Vanessa squatted down on the shore to toss some of her sub roll to the gathered ducks. "Yeah, I guess it is. We don't notice as much, unfortunately, after having lived here forever. I tried leaving once, and it was great for a while… starting over somewhere new. I moved to a big city, and thought I was going to be so much better off. After a while though, I just couldn't stand it. Too busy, too much pavement, too little intimacy with the people around you. I guess I'm a creature of habit. Where are you from originally?"

Alex realized that he had been gazing at her far more intently than was proper so he quickly diverted his attention to the ducks.

"London" he said. "Born and bred. Spent my whole life there, until recently."

"I love London" she replied, surprising him. "I've only been once, when I was a teenager, for a week. I want to go back someday. I really liked it there. Why did you leave?"

He sighed. "I really hadn't intended to _leave_; I just had… something that I had to do. I flew to Canada to meet up with someone I used to know, and then I ended up hanging around a lot longer than I'd planned on. Going back just didn't feel very appealing I suppose. It seemed rather bleak, compared to all I've seen since then. It's not like I ever did much good while I was there."

Vanessa studied his face and he avoided her eyes. He hated feeling scrutinized. It inevitably led to him being forced to explain himself so that he could be judged.

"Makes sense" she said simply. "Maybe you'll do better here. I think everybody has a certain soil they thrive best in, just like plants. With people it isn't always necessarily that which we are native to. Either way, you'll find yours someday."

He smiled, both with relief at not being further interrogated and amusement at her plant analogy. "Have you found your soil? Is this it?" he asked.

Vanessa snorted. "I don't think so, not really. I know I kind of hinted that it was, but that isn't the whole story. I came back because I apparently like visiting big cities more than I like living in them, and because I did miss my family and friends. It's not where my soul is really at home though. I was lucky enough to find that place once, and I hope I end up there when it's all said and done. Probably not till I'm old though!"

"You've got plenty of time then" he teased. "Unlike me."

Vanessa giggled.

"So where is this soul-home of yours, anyway?"

She blushed, and made a face. "You'll think I'm ridiculous."

He shook his head. "I will not. I've learned over the years, often the hard way, that I've no right to go calling anyone else ridiculous with my track record."

"Oh… fine. I want to be in the English countryside. I want to go where there are little cottages, and moss-covered stones, and fields of cute little sheep…" She saw him clenching his lips together struggling not to grin, and she crawled over next to him so she could punch him in the arm.

"What?" he asked, trying to look hurt.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I didn't laugh, and besides that I never said I wouldn't. I only said I wouldn't call you ridiculous." He did laugh now. "And I didn't do that either. So, you've just socked me for no good reason."

She rubbed his arm where she had hit him. "Sorry. I guess you're right" she said, laughing herself.

"Indeed" he agreed sternly. "I am." He smiled at her again, noticing that her eyes were the same dark blue-green color of the lake, but with a few gold colored flecks. "It's not ridiculous, by the way. I think if that's where you want to be, then I say have at it. When you're able, of course. Megan told me that you're going to school."

Vanessa nodded. "Yes." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I am."

"You don't seem very happy about it."

She shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not. I'd be thrilled if I could just stick to history classes, and anthropology, literature… things that inspire me.

"Can't you?"

"Not if I want to graduate."

"I see."

By closing time Alex had managed to finish not only Megan's tasks for the day, but had gotten to work on tidying up the back room. It was a disaster area, and Vanessa was very pleased with his progress.

"Oh wow Alex, this is awesome! I can actually walk in here without tripping on anything or having something fall on my head."

He found himself enjoying her praise. He wasn't praised often in his life, and hearing it from his pretty young manager was a welcome boost to his ego.

"None of the rest of us are terribly organized" Vanessa admitted. "We've made such a mess back here I didn't think we'd ever get it all back together."

"I should be able to finish tomorrow. Then I think I'd like to tackle the shelves up above. They look a bit jumbled. I'm actually surprised nothing falls."

"Kath is going to love this!" She slipped her arm around his lower back and patted his side. Alex felt his stomach do a little flip at the contact, and he felt foolish.

"Thank you for giving me a chance. It's much appreciated" he said, knowing from the warmth in his cheeks that he was blushing.

After work Alex dropped his rental car off to avoid having to spend any more on it. Unfortunately, the cab ride back to the hotel wasn't cheap, and he knew that he was down to only three more days worth of having a room on his credit card. He wished that his pride hadn't prevented him from asking Vanessa for a ride back from the rental office.

The next morning when he arrived on foot at the bookstore, Kathryn was watering plants on the porch again.

"There's our miracle worker!" she greeted him.

He smirked at her. "Hello Kathryn."

"What you did yesterday was fantastic. We're glad to have you aboard Alex. If you need anything, just say the word. Vanessa filled me in on your unique circumstances, and as far as anyone's concerned, you're an old friend of mine who's helping us out while you visit."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Yesterday was great. I think I could definitely get used to working here."

The older woman suddenly had mischief in her eyes and Alex wondered what she was thinking.

"Well, your co-worker had a very enjoyable day yesterday as well, and has been talking about you all morning… so why don't you get on in there and say hi."

The thought of Vanessa bragging him up made his heart beat faster, and he hurried through the door to avoid Kathryn seeing his face redden.

_Don't be an idiot; she's less than half your age. There's nothing to even think about… Let it go._

"Alex!" screeched Megan, being deliberately obnoxious, he could tell.

"Miss Megan" he greeted her, smirking. "Feeling better today?"

She shrugged. "I survived. It was questionable for a bit there. I heard you got to do all the shit I didn't want to, so that worked out pretty good didn't it?"

He nodded. "It did."

"Ness, your sugar daddy's here!"

Alex shot her an irritated glance and she walked away laughing. Vanessa came out of the back room.

"Mornin' sunshine!" she said cheerily, ignoring Megan's comment. "All the crazies are present today. Think you can handle us all?"

Unable to keep from smiling at her, he nodded. "I think I can manage."

"Good."

In spite of the fact that Alex would have preferred another quiet day alone with Vanessa, his second day was nearly as enjoyable as the first. In spite of Megan's near constant teasing, she was amusing company, and was more than happy to take as well as dish out when it came to torment. Alex quickly learned that she expected him to fight back, and Vanessa spent most of the day laughing at them. As for Kathryn, she was without question the most easy going employer he had ever heard of, let alone encountered. She mostly fussed with her plants and décor and let them all get on with it. Once again, he thanked the heavens that he'd managed to find such a job.

When lunch time rolled around Alex discovered that if Vanessa had followed their usual protocol yesterday they would have gone out in shifts, rather than together. Kathryn sent him with Megan, and before he left he glanced at Vanessa in time to see that she was smirking at him. Apparently she had considered a shared lunch break with him worth bending the rules over. That was interesting.

Megan said she felt like a burger and led Alex across the street and a short walk up the road to a diner that had outdoor seating.

With a mouthful of barbecue bacon cheeseburger she decided the time had come to interview him.

"So what made you decide to come work with us?" she mumbled through her food.

Alex gave her a look and handed her a napkin. "If I'm honest, I didn't really have a choice" he admitted. "I'm almost completely broke."

Megan's eyes widened as she swallowed. "Seriously? Like really broke?"

He nodded. "Pretty broke. I'll be out on my arse in two days."

"No way!"

Alex snickered. "Yes way."

She looked quite upset. "Damn dude. You look like somebody who'd have money."

He laughed out loud now. "Looks can be deceiving Megan, believe me. You'd be quite surprised."

"What are you gonna do?"

Her concern surprised him a little, and he suddenly regretted telling her. "I don't really know yet. Unfortunately there's not much to do at the moment but wait for payday."

She shook her head and slapped her burger back down on her plate. "No way man. That's not cool. You can come stay with Vanessa and me. We've got an apartment next road up from the store. It's straight back through the trees behind Sister's. You can surf on our couch till you get something figured out."

It was Alex's turn to shake his head. "Megan I appreciate that, really I do, but I don't think so. You don't know how Vanessa would feel about that, and you barely know me. For all you know I could be a violent criminal. You can't just go inviting strange men into your home."

"Oh for fuck's sake, you're nowhere near as strange as we are, believe me. Don't even try pal, and for your information, I _do _know how Vanessa will feel about it. She'll be fine with it." She suddenly grinned. "Probably be more than fine with it actually. You might not be on the couch for long. She's got the bigger bedroom too. You'll like it in there."

He glared at her, but couldn't keep his lip from twitching up into a smirk. "Not bloody likely. I was nearly middle-aged when you two were children. I highly doubt she's got any interest in having me in her bed, so you can drop that nonsense, thank you. I'll sort it out somehow; I don't want to ask for any more favors than I already have."

Naturally, as soon as they were back through the door of the bookstore, Megan went to Vanessa.

"Alex is totally broke and is going to be on the street in two days. I said he has to come and stay with us but he's being a stubborn damn _man _and he refuses. Tell him to quit being a dumbass."

Vanessa looked at Alex and the worry in her eyes made him feel terrible.

"It's not as bad as all that" he insisted. "I'll be fine. I'll sort it."

Vanessa shook her head. "No, Meg's right. You're coming to stay with us, and that's that. Our place isn't much, but it's got a roof, walls, and running water." She gave Megan's black ponytail a playful tug and added "And don't worry, I do the cleaning."

"Damn right you do. Screw that noise…" Megan muttered, wandering off to look for Kathryn.

"Vanessa I appreciate the offer. It's very kind of you, but I really cannot…"

"Stop. We want you to. We're all friends. Don't argue."


	4. Give it a Go

**_Thank you very much to those who are reading this, and especially those who have given me feedback. I really appreciate your opinions and am hopeful that you'll find this story entertaining. This chapter is called "Give it a Go" for one of my favorite songs by a group called "Molotov Jukebox." I recommend them to anyone who likes lively tunes that will make you want to dance! The song, and others by the band, can be found on itunes as well as youtube. _**

* * *

Alex's first night in Megan and Vanessa's apartment was fairly uneventful. He knew that this was most likely because Megan wasn't there. Vanessa had brought him over after work and given him the "grand tour" as she put it, before she had to run off to class. As a result, he was to spend the evening in solitude, watching television and getting acquainted with Megan's cat.

"Right. Oliver is it? Good to meet you. I'm Alex, and I think we'll do just fine as long as you make sure not to shit on anything I own and stay away from me when I'm eating or sleeping. If you can manage that, we shouldn't have any trouble."

The black cat stared at him for a moment before making its opinion known with a loud hiss.

"Terrific" Alex muttered. "Glad to see we're on the same page."

The apartment was quite small, but kept nicely. It was upstairs, the front door accessible from a wooden staircase outside. Vanessa had told him there was an elderly woman downstairs, who was nice, but very particular about noise and protective of the flower garden she had planted in the backyard.

Their front door, which was technically on the upper rear side of the building, opened into their kitchen. Right off of the kitchen, with no wall in between, was a small sitting area with a massive television (a Christmas gift from Kathryn, who knew how much they loved movies), and a cushy brown vinyl sofa. In the corner was the desk Vanessa used for school work.

Off the sitting room was a rather cramped, short hallway, down which were the girls' bedrooms and the bathroom. The bathroom was larger than he had expected, and Vanessa told him that the large old tub had been put there especially for them by the landlord.

"He mentioned to Megan that he had found one at an estate sale, and she begged him to put it in up here for us. Edgar is incapable of telling Megan no. That's also how she ended up being able to keep Oliver."

"What's her secret?" Alex asked. "Blackmail?"

Vanessa snickered. "Nope. As far as I can see it's low cut shirts and strategically deployed lollipops. I've tried to tell her that she's setting feminism back a few decades acting like that, but she disagrees. Our ideas on empowerment differ somewhat. Anyway, make yourself at home, and I'll be back around nine."

Alex had dozed off when he heard a key in the lock and sat up on the sofa, displacing Oliver, who had been curled up on his chest. The cat hissed again, glaring from where it had landed on the floor. Vanessa stepped in with a few bags of take-out and she grinned at him.

"Nice hair. Sexy."

Smirking, and knowing he was blushing, Alex used his hand to try and push his hair back down into place. If he wasn't careful, it had a tendency to become a bit of a wild mess, and he knew it made him look slightly crazed.

Vanessa laughed, setting the bags down on the counter and coming to drop down next to him. She ran her fingers through his unruly hair and smoothed it back down where it was supposed to be. "There. All better."

He stared at her with smoldering eyes, and she giggled nervously. He didn't want to be so obviously affected, but every now and then she would make it impossible for him to hide.

"Thanks" he whispered.

"No problem. Anyway, I brought Chinese. That ok? Megan's not coming back tonight, most likely. I guess she met a guy." She rolled her eyes and made a gagging gesture, which made Alex chuckle. "So, we're on our own."

She hopped back up and went back out to the counter. Out of one of the bags she pulled a bottle of red wine. "You said you like wine" she said, wiggling the bottle in his direction before she set it in the refrigerator.

He nodded. "Yes I do."

"I wasn't sure what you'd want for a movie, so I figured I'd just let you pick from something we already have."

Alex smiled appreciatively, but he felt a bit guilty that she'd gone to so much trouble. "That's fine. You really didn't have to do all this. I'm grateful for a place to sleep, honestly, I don't expect to be fed and entertained as well. I don't want you try to do this every night."

"Don't worry about that. I just figured it'd be nice to do something fun on your first night here. Plus it's an excuse for me to drink a bottle of wine and pig out on Chinese rather than doing homework."

He laughed. "Well that makes sense. It does sound like a pretty good way to spend an evening. Where do you keep your movies?"

Alex ended up picking out a box set they had of old Monty Python episodes, and he and Vanessa settled in on the couch with their dinner and the wine. By the time dinner was done with, they'd moved onto a bottle of vodka that Vanessa stole from Megan's room, mixed with the rest of the orange juice that was in the fridge. By the time they had run out of Python DVDs it was three in the morning and they were both very drunk.

"Well that was fun" Alex slurred, staring at the now blue television screen.

Vanessa giggled and burped. "Yep. It was awesome. I really like you Alex. You're a really… a really nifty kind of dude."

"Megan calls me a _dude_ all the time. It's sort of weird. I never really thought of myself as a _dude_ before. Is that some kind of regional thing, or have I just not been paying attention?"

Vanessa giggled again and toppled over so that her head landed on his shoulder. "You're funny. I'm sleepy."

Alex laughed. "Hello Sleepy."

She laughed so hard she snorted, which set him off as well, and they both laughed hysterically until they were piled in the corner of the couch, Vanessa's head in Alex's lap, and his resting on her bent over back. As the giggles subsided and silence set in he nuzzled his face against the soft fabric of her shirt. She smelled delicious, and was exhausted. His eyes began to close of their own accord.

"Alex" she mumbled, her cheek pressed against his thigh.

"Hmm?"

"I really do like you. A lot."

He grinned into her back. "I like you too. You've got a comfortable back."

She giggled again. "Shit… I just drooled on your pants."

"That's all right" he assured her, chuckling.

Vanessa started to move and he leaned back against the sofa to let her up. She stared at him for a few seconds, and he couldn't help but think of how lovely she was. Her hair was a mess, and her eyeliner had smudged, giving her raccoon eyes, but she still looked breathtaking, looking at him that way, like he was the only man on the planet.

"Kiss me Alex" she whispered. "Please?"

_I said I wasn't going to do this… Of course that was when I thought she'd never _want _me to do this… Oh fuck it, who am I kidding? I'd have to be completely mad not to do this…_

He leaned over carefully, knowing that he was drunk enough to really botch it up if he wasn't cautious. He brushed his lips against hers as gently as he could possibly manage and then waited, his heart hammering in his chest.

A slow grin spread across her lips and she giggled yet again. "Mmm. More."

Not needing to be told twice, he slid a hand into her hair and used his other arm to pull her into his lap. Their lips met much more forcefully this time, and before he knew it she had slipped her tongue into his mouth.

After several blissful seconds she pulled back, and he looked at her, afraid maybe she'd changed her mind. She reached up to take his glasses off and set them on the coffee table before she shifted positions to straddle his lap.

"Is this ok?" she asked. He nodded. It was more than ok. It was fantastic.

She kissed him again as she went to work on the buttons of his shirt. It struck her how silent he remained, even though she could tell by his expression that he was enjoying the attention.

Vanessa gasped when she felt his big warm hands slide up the back of her shirt. Taking that as permission, he slid it off over her head. He broke their kiss for a moment, wanting to see her. The bra she wore was black lace over nude silk, and he thought it was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen.

"You're so beautiful" he whispered.

"Prove it" she said back saucily.

Smirking, he pushed her down onto the sofa and with his hips still between her legs, turned so he could place himself on top of her.

He let her push his shirt off of his shoulders, and her hands moved to the fly of his pants.

"You're drunk" he said between kisses. "Are you sure about this?"

"Very sure. Fuck me."

There would be no more questions. That was certainly good enough for him.

Alex was awoken in the morning when he felt a blanket drop onto his bare backside. He carefully shifted in his position atop Vanessa to see behind him. Megan was there, looking in the refrigerator.

"Nice ass dude" she snickered. "I see you guys had a nice night."

"Fuck off Megs" Vanessa mumbled, hiding her eyes in Alex's shoulder so that the sunlight wouldn't further exacerbate the pounding in her head. "But first make some coffee."

Alex knew he had to be redder than last night's wine. They had been so drunk! He was fairly certain that with his typical luck things would be going one of two ways. Either she would decide that he had shamelessly taken advantage of her and promptly kick him out, or she would let him know that what had transpired between them was nothing but a night of inebriated sex, and he would once again be put in the position of becoming attached to someone who wasn't available to him. He shifted his shoulder out of the way so he could see her face.

"Good morning" he whispered, wishing that they were still alone, but unwilling to get up and show Megan anymore of his bare behind than she'd already seen.

Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut, but smiled. "Morning. Cover my eyes, the light hurts."

He rested his cheek against hers, protecting her eyes from the sunlight.

"Too much booze" she groaned.

He nodded against her face. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked, squinting at him.

"You were very drunk. I shouldn't have…"

Vanessa giggled. "You were pretty smashed too, as I recall, and yes you most certainly should have." She grinned. "Best night I've ever had."

Pleased, Alex slid his arms underneath her so he could squeeze her tight. "I'm glad to hear that. I don't want you to think that I used you. I really do care for you."

He felt her arms slide around him and she started to stroke his back with her fingernails. "Me too honey."

"I really hate to interrupt this romantic naked moment, but we have to go to work in an hour, so you guys should really get the hell up and get dressed because there is no way in hell I am covering for both of you" Megan scolded, starting the coffee maker.

Alex turned his head to glare at her. "Well if you expect me to get up you'd better get out of here. You've seen enough already."

Vanessa laughed, and Megan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I know, it was my fault I came home to find your English ass on top of my best friend. I totally made you guys have hot sex on our couch." She paused, tilting her head in thought. "It was hot, wasn't it Nessa? I mean if it wasn't…"

"Oh my God Megan piss off!" Vanessa shouted, chucking a couch cushion at her obnoxious roommate.

Megan ran into the hallway giggling.

Alex pulled his arms out from under Vanessa and propped himself up on his hands. "You didn't answer her question" he asked, teasing. "Was it _hot_?"

She laughed. "You were there, you tell me."

"Spectacular" he purred in her ear.

"Absolutely" she agreed.

Luckily for Alex, it was Kathryn's day off. He knew that there was no way in hell Megan would keep quiet about what she had seen, and he didn't think he could stand to face her if she knew what he'd done. He could barely look Megan in the eyes as it was.

On the bright side, Vanessa seemed very happy. He didn't dare ask her what it all meant for them, as far as whether or not they would be pursuing a relationship, but if her affectionate behavior was anything to go by, it certainly looked that way.

"Holy shit you guys are gonna make me hurl!" Megan taunted, grabbing one of Kathryn's potted plants and pretending to puke in it.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, I know, because me kissing his cheek is far more revolting than watching you in a club cramming your tongue down the throat of a stranger."

Alex gave Megan a smug look and she giggled at him.

"Hey, sex is one thing, but you guys are just plain sappy. It's gross." She grinned evilly. "I can't wait to tell Kath that you guys are doing the nasty. You probably totally traumatized my poor cat."

Vanessa's jaw dropped. "You most certainly will not tell Kathryn! Our relationship is nobody's business but ours. You came in at an… inconvenient time, and the mature thing for you to do would be to respect our privacy and keep your big mouth shut. Got it?"

Alex cheered inwardly at her use of the word relationship.

"We'll see" Megan teased her. "Maybe if you're nice… both of you… I might just keep your little affair quiet. Maybe."

"If you tell Kathryn anything about us I will tell her you had sex in the back room with the UPS guy last month."

Megan's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Alex couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You would not!"

"You just try me Megan Abram. I dare you."

The look on Vanessa's face said very clearly that she meant what she said, and Alex noticed that the teasing was drastically reduced from there on out.


End file.
